Online Trading Academy

I have been in search for some time for an educational program on trading stocks or the forex market. There are so many out there and while searching google, this one came out high on the list. I went to their website and was immediately intrigued as they offer the following FREE:
Invest a few life-​changing hours in our Power Trading Workshop, where you’ll learn:
How to identify points where supply and demand are out of balance and price is about to move.
The two common mistakes of the novice trader or investor that may be costing you money – and how to avoid them.
How to pick low-​risk, high potential entry points for your trade.
How to apply a simple rule-​based strategy to any asset class including stock, options, currencies and futures.
How to build a successful trading plan for any time frame, from current income to retirement security.
They do not show you how to do any of this in the FREE Power Trading workshop. It is actually a fee of 200 dollars for the training of their strategy in a 3 day workshop. The feel of the FREE class is very close to a time-​share deal, with out the discounted 2 – 3 night hotel or free Tickets to a concert; you simply lose 3 hours you will never get back. The program was originally focused on options, but after surveying the room and finding that there were some forex traders, he mentioned key terms to appeal to that audience as well.
After the first 2 hours of the «Class» I decided to leave early, as the presenter (who was the president of the company) seemed to much like a sales guy who needs to recoup his investment in the Online trading academy franchise that he purchased. Everything he was talking about seems like they teach how to find standard support and resistance in the market. I can find this free through google.
Before I left, I had to see how much faith he (the president) had in this system. So, I asked him if he uses the same strategy that they teach, and he said he is more of an investor and not a trader. He said he was not able to disclose how much he makes in investing due to obvious reasons. I see it as a BIG RED FLAG when the president doesn’t think that the strategy is good enough for him to use and make good MONEY.
DO YOUR RESEARCH before signing on the dotted line.
I would stay away

Online Trading Academy San Jose. What can I say? I went to their free workshop, which had some interesting insights and claims, including one boasting a 15 percent return and zero downside by the presenter. I thought, «Wow, Online Trading Academy must have something really amazing going on for someone to make such a claim.» So eventually I signed up for their first class on identifying market trends, and went down to the Online Trading Academy San Jose office and met with an education counselor. I was told I had to meet with this person as a requirement to doing the first class. What it ended up being was a big sales pitch, which was a huge turn-​off since I had to take time off from work to do the meeting. The next part of this was where we begin to deviate from reality, when being given a HUGE price tag for signing up for the entire package of classes. We’re talking around 17– 20k, folks. Apparently, you have only one chance to sign up for the whole package at or just after the first Identifying Market Trends class, to receive a discount, and have the ability to take any class as many times as you want. Otherwise, if you don’t sign up, I was told that you lose that ability, and have to pay for each class individually each time you want to take it.
Now bear with me for a moment, because I think the most I’ve ever spent on an opaque transaction is likely around $ 300 – 500.00 when booking an online reservation for airfare, or shopping for auto insurance. The very idea that I would magically cough up somewhere in that neighborhood of bookoo bucks without having any familiarity with the program or having talked with friends who have done it, like most intelligent human beings would, is nearly zero.
I’m not saying it’s a bad program. I’m not saying it’s a good program. It’s just very hard to fathom the idea of doing business with something like this that puts a big sales pitch over and virtually requires you to take their advice and cough up that kind of money upfront with no understanding of what you’re really getting involved with. So maybe at some later date I may revisit this, but only after taking LOTS of time to review other industry material to find out how they compare.
If someone were to ask me about signing up for Online Trading Academy San Jose, I’d have to say do your homework first, and then decide. That’s it.

I attended the free class provided by OTA in March. And at the end of the session, we were so encouraged to attend the three days courses so I signed up and paid for the courses too.
Finally I found time to attend the three days courses this week and before the classes, I watched the required video and finished the online plan questionnaire and went to onsite to meet a counselor to talk my financial plan as needed.
At the end of the meeting, the counselor tried to persuade me to sign on the advanced class that she said it costs $ 1000 per day. I said I couldn’t committed it. I refused it very politely. Then counselor said if you can’t commit it, then you shouldn’t even go to the three day class.
I felt very uncomfortable but I kept it professionally and politely and I just left the meeting w/​o saying anything.
Two days ago before the class the counselor left me a message and I called back and no one answered so I called OTA main number to confirm my schedule of classes this weekend and got confirmed that I was all set. Then I requested one day off from my manager this Friday and looked forwarded to this weekend’s classes.
Last night, I was driving to my home and counselor called me again, she kept telling me that you are not gonna learn anything useful from the three days courses unless you sign on the advanced classes. This was exactly what she said and I just quoted her.
I became so upset and she pissed me off, I told her, why you didn’t tell all the customers such things up front when asked customers signed on the three days classes. When you didn’t tell customers the truth that w/​o signing on the advanced classes you are not going to learn anything useful.
The conversation was so upset me that I didn’t even know why I even got involved. Finally I said if I hadn’t paid for the three days classes I wouldn’t even go to the three days’ classes. And she said I can refund you. I said, I already requested one day off from my manager, and she said you can spend one day with your kids.
This is really outrageous! Do you know about money loss per my one day off? And I still didn’t say that I’ll cancel my class. And she said she will talk to her boss that I am not happy, and I said sure. She ended the phone.
This morning I recieved her email telling me to attend the three day courses this weekend and later I received another email telling me my classes have been cancelled W/​O any explanations.
And now I have to ask my manager to cancel my day off request.
This is exactly/​accurate experiences with OTA which I’ll share my true personal experiences with as many people as I know.

I attended the free Power Trading Workshop in San Jose on May 14, 2014. It was not as much fun as some of the other reviewers have mentioned — there was no free lunch, and we were not offered a free USB, but they did have coffee and tea.
The facility was beautiful. The instructor, Lance Strauss, was pleasant, knowledgeable, humorous, and interacted well with the 9 attendees. He repeatedly said «we will take a break in just a minute,» but we never did until ~ ½ hour before the 3-​hour workshop ended, and constantly pitched the upcoming 3-​day class, mentioning that we could only sign up today. He also referred to the company’s «patented» software a lot.
I thought the beginning of the workshop was wonderful and was leaning toward signing up for the 3-​day course, but as the event progressed it became very much like a timeshare presentation. At the end, I said that I needed to do some research on the company before commiting, and might prefer to take an advanced class. I was told if I did not sign up that day I could not do so again, and was basically given a polite bum’s rush out.
Online Trading Academy appears to be no better and no worse than any of the other trading education companies around. I suspect the greatest money to be made in online trading is selling software and education courses that teach people how to (try to) do it.
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I attended the free sales meeting. I’d sure like to have the free USB they advertised, but then said they didn’t have any when I went to the sales meeting.

I attended the intro (free) power trading class at the academy in San Jose and was somewhat impressed with the tools and education they offer as to how to become a professional trader. However, I remain a bit skeptical seeing how there are only two total reviews of their school and they have probably enrolled well over a thousand (if not substantially more) students in their range of trading courses. I will be open to changing the review but would like to have more access to personal reviews and testimonies of the school and people’s experiences: to make a well informed decision of whether I want to invest in an education with them. Especially since their normal fees of $ 1000 a day for their professional courses are by no means a drop in the bucket. It would seem common sense that their biggest asset would be student satisfaction with their programs. Then why are there only 2 reviews here besides mine (and both polar opposite)? I will also be taking their 2^nd intermediate course in a few weeks. So perhaps I will give another update then, but would love to hear more from others in the meantime! Thanks!

My experience with Online Trading Academy has been great so far. The people are nice and accommodating, and everyone is overall very professional. I have been working with them for 8 months now and have enjoyed everything I’ve done and learned.
I’ve read a bunch of reviews about how high quality the training is, that the hands on experience helps with learning, and that the unlimited re-​takes of any class you purchase really enhances the learning experience. All of these benefits really make this company a leader in investor training.
I highly recommend them for people looking to learn about trading in the markets. Admittedly, investing isn’t for everybody. You need to have some liquidity with your money, so obviously that won’t be for everybody. But, I expect, if you are considering going there you have some money that you can use to invest and kick off a career (or part-​time hobby) in trading.

Listen I have been working with The Online Trading Academy in San Jose for the last four months. I would not trade the things I have learned for anything. We simply cannot rely on the government for our own retirement, so it really pays to invest in something that will teach you how to manage your own money. This isn’t necessarily making money in your sleep, but the work is rewarding when you put effort into it. My one tip to OTA: bring a Starbucks into your building or one of those Starbucks Bearista Home Machines — that’ll give people the jolt they need in the morning.

They certainly tarnish the word Academy, considering they will enroll ANYONE who is willing to pay $ 6,000 for a starter class. I think they should change their name to Selling To Your Emotions, or Selling You Your Dream, or Shyster Academy.
After sitting in one of their free Power Trading Workshops and trying to be entertained by a professional presenter, then you have to endure a one on one sit down with one of their sales people, which they call Education Counselors. This was far from free if you consider the travel to the office, waiting for all the people who arrive late, then being brought out to eat lunch as the vultures (sales people) watch you eat and try to bring you into their office and TRY TO SELL YOU WHILE YOU EAT!!! Completely unprofessional.
When I told them that I understand if I purchase the class today, it would be an emotional sale, so I wanted to wait a week before I pay $ 6,000 for one class. The so called professional sales person tried to convenience me and told me that «This deal is only good for today», which turned me off immediately. I said «I don’t know many people who can make $ 6,000 purchase without thinking it over», and the sales person told me that «all of their students have».
What also scared me was all the people in the room that looked like they were there for the free lunch, very shabby looking. Maybe they should have a dress code for the prospects. I did not feel comfortable in the room as it felt like I was in a Time Share Presentation. As it turns out, the General Manager (Englishman I think) used to sell Time Sharing. Yikes!!!
Is a business with «Academy» in its name really an Academy? In my book, if it is an accredited academy, then it’s an Academy. I believe they are not Accredited. And for the record, there are many Accredited Universities who offer Technical Analysis classes, and trading classes. So when they say no school can receive accreditation, that statement is completely false.
I also found out that this is one of 39 franchises, and that you can take the class anywhere in the world. That being said, I called about ten different locations and told them that I would not take the class at their location, and I think I could have bought a Pro Trader Class over the phone for about $ 4,000, which I still thought was too much. I might want to call India to see how much they charge, I think it’s roughly $ 1,500 US.
Some of the students that were taking the class at the same time during the Power Trading workshop, said it was a great class, but that’s like asking someone who bought a new car within a week «How do you like your car?» I’m sure the past Yugo owners even said «oh, it’s great, I would purchase it again». Do you think they would say that now?
Enjoy the entertainment, the free lunch, and it can be fun if you have nothing else to do that day.